The oldest female wrestler to have a match is Mae Young, who defeated LayCool in a WWE Raw handicap match on November 15, 2010, at the age of 87. 5. Frenchy Lamonte heading for the ring in Tampa 1970. The Original Sheik portrayed a rich and brutal Syrian who brought a new level of violence in pro wrestling. Mark Rocco was a fourth-generation British wrestler. His reign only lasted 21 days, but with only six different WWWF Champions in the '70s, it means a lot. Wrestled mainly in Mexico and WCCW. By M.A LeBlanc Ring Of Honor Tag Team Champion Jay Briscoe Passes Away At 38. Joy Division. Wrestled his last match at a show that was independently produced by. Just about the most recognisable name ever to come out of British wrestling started grapplin' in the late 1950's, but it would be almost another two decades before he had become Grandma's favourite.. Wrestling stars of the 60s/'70s2 of 18. He was referred to as the man you love to hate!. DeNucci, who trained Mick Foley and Shane Douglas among others, was mainly a tag team specialist and a great brawler. [Photo: mirror.co.uk]Nagasaki had superhuman powers, such as the power of healing and the ability to hypnotize. Click the appropriate section on the right. t.co/O5GfUklP1O", "Cowboy" Bob Ellis profile, from LegacyOfWrestling.com, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_oldest_surviving_professional_wrestlers&oldid=1142721943. Sandor Szabo 60 October 16, 1966 Heart Attack; Primo Carnera 51 June 29, 1967 Cirrhosis of Liver . Also has trained many wrestlers like. Click here to watch Tony Garea in action against Billy Graham. TV Pallo. Click here to watch The Fabulous Moolah facing one of her toughest rival in the '70s. The legendary Lord Littlebrook (aka Eric Tovey), in Milwaukee July 7, 1968. Kendo was unmasked in 1977, with 12 million viewers disappointed to learn that Peter Thornley was not Japanese after all. * Continued to exist after the National Wrestling Alliance was founded in 1948. Chris Adams first entered professional wrestling in 1978 with no proper formal training. His father was an alcoholic and his abusive and violent behavior towards his son led the teenage Murray to run away from home. I found no singles action for Haystacks Calhoun, but you can click here to watch some three-against-three action and click here to watch him in a WWWF World Tag Team title defense. You can find instructions here as to how. But the female in the wrestling industry was Betty Wagner, the valet of Gorgeous George who lived to 98 years old in 2011. Doncaster-born Gary Cooper took on the TV wizards moniker and came up with many bizarre gimmicks, including licking a lucky toad between rounds. Clark was to finish the mid-1960s as the second most famous drummer in the . Hawaii Five-O was a popular television series in the US during 1968 and for several years running. In two reigns, one with Jimmy and one with Jerry, he was Tag Team Champion for a total of 600 days. Sadly, many of the biographies and details of these wrestling heroes (and villains) have either been lost or passively excised due to political correctnesswhich is a shame, for these men (and and a few women) were athletes and acrobats who excelled at the sport. Danny Hodge - World Champion, Challengers (listed alphabetically): Story Saved. Photograph: David Redfern/Redferns Swinging. (Use code PWS for a nice surprise). 30 Wrestlers You May Not Know Were Related! Wrestled his last match defeating Rat Ferraro at a wrestling event in Montreal, Canada. On February 20, 1978, Bob Backlund reached the top of the mountain when he won the WWF Championship against "Superstar" Billy Graham in what was declared "The Match of the Year" by Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Unofficially, she lost the title on four occasions, but she only spent 70 days without the gold in that 10,778-day time frame. Honorable mention: Edouard Carpentier, Verne Gagne, Lou Thesz, Wilbur Snyder, Rip Hawk, Fritz Von Erich, Pepper Gomez, Lorenzo Parente, Jr. Heavyweight: From an early age, Lamonte had a great interest in wrestling deciding at eight to become a wrestler, telling his mother Im gonna be a dirty one. Trained by Lord Littlebrook, Lamonte made his debut in 1963. Brother of. Brookside was introduced as a man that Shane McMahon had personally seen take down six men by himself in a fight at a local pub! Wrestled in the WWWF from 1964 to 1969. This ultimately proved to be a waste of his ability during a time when he didnt have many years left in the squared circle as a performer. The best wrestlers (Sky Low Low, Little Beaver, Lord Littlebrook, Little Tokyo) mixed great physical prowess with acrobatic skills to give their fans edge-of-the-seat thrills and entertainment, with just a hint of comedy. The events of the 1960s affect the lives of two families, one white and one black. His nickname is used by today's wrestlers as a tribute to his legacy, and they are now known as Superstars. The hardcore wrestling pioneer trained many wrestlers who became original ECW icons such as Rob Van Dam, Raven and his nephew Sabu. In May 1964, the Five were the first British group to undertake a full-scale tour of the USA - and for a while they vied with The Beatles to be Uncle Sam's fave UK act. Wrestled in Studio Wrestling out of Pittsburgh in the 1950s and 1960s. By 1960, nearly three quarters of the population had television, and by the end of the sixties, nearly ninety-five percent. Although known nowadays as a coach at the WWE Performance Center, previously, Robbie Brookside had a very successful career as a performer. After testing his trade in carnivals and holiday camps, Darren soon gained exposure working for ITVs World of Sport, like many others on this list. Now, with no more introduction, let's travel back in time when pro wrestling was absent from the mainstream media and when it caused actual riots on many occasions. McManus has been described as the greatest name in British wrestling history, yet he remains mostly unknown outside of the United Kingdom. So with news that World of Sport is back on ITV in June, we salute the great grapplers of yesteryear. Training under Marty Jones, Matthews made his pro wrestling debut at the age of 15 for a local promotor at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. The Last Unicorn (The Last Unicorn, #1) by. He later found fame as an actor on TV and in films such as Kes and Alien 3. Best known by his ring name, Giant Haystacks, he wrestled in such places as Great Britain, the United States, Canada, India, and Rhodesia. The Grammar Guru thinks the sixties were a decade of great fashion. Finlay retired from in-ring competition in 2012 and is now a backstage producer for the WWE. Admittedly, we've had a lot of fun putting this wrestler information together and we hope you enjoy reading it too! Click here to watch Andre The Giant winning a battle royal in the mid-70s. He later would become a regular performer on WCW Saturday Night and WCW Thunder. Billy the Kid with Cowboy Bob Bradley (aka Robert Bradley). These promoters were commonly known as the independent or opposition promoters. He is even credited as the inventor of the figure-four leglock. However, like many of his colleagues, his career and achievements have been sadly overlooked. Wrestled in her last match in a tag team match with Stormy Apple as they lost to Josie Navarro and Margaret Garcia at Ladies International Wrestling Association in Las Vegas, Nevada. New Zealand wrestler. Father of Bret "The Hitman" Hart, and the late wrestler Owen Hart. The voice of the Tetley tea ads, the father-of-two died of a brain tumour in 1997, aged 63. And, when we take a look at everything he did in 1980 and after he left, he is clearly one of the most misused talents in WWE's history. Adrian Street with his valet and wife, Miss Linda. Click here to watch Strongbow taking on Professor TanakaMr. As for any similar list, I considered many factors to rank the wrestlers. We do not accept responsibility for views expressed in the forum, articles by Heritage members, or photographs posted in the Heritage Galleries. Jamaica Kid and Little Beaver backstage at a wrestling arena April 25, 1969. Wrestled in his last match defeating Frenchy Roberre at a. Wrestled his last match in a tag team match with his son, Wrestled his last match at the VerdugoMania 3rd Anniversary show in Tonala, Jalisco, Mexico, teaming with Jaque Mate Jr., Rafaga, and Rayman in a loss to the team of, Wrestled his last match in an event in Mexico City, Mexico, teaming with, Wrestled his last match for Battleground Championship Wrestling in Feasterville, Pennsylvania, teaming with. He was a clever and wily opponent who brought considerable showmanship to the arena. British musician and wrestler. Copyright 1995-2023 puroresu.com. When his three-year reign ended in 1977, Sammartino established an unbeatable record of 11 years as the reigning WWWF Champion. One bout with Jackie Pallo was seen by 20 million fans. The Liverpool-born wrestler initially performed in a tag team called The Golden Boys alongside William Regal (then known as Steven Regal). 6 Antonio Inoki When he was not embracing success in the tag team division, he had some memorable feuds in singles against the likes of Billy Graham and Ken Patera. Widely respected for his integrity and personal principles, Sammartino was one of the most popular wrestlers in the 60's and 70's. Born and raised in a small Italian town, Bruno Sammartino's childhood was quite tough. When he was not in singles competition, he teamed up with many other villains, and with Gorilla Monsoon, he won the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship in 1963. Worked as Purple Haze. When he joined the WWWF in 1977, he quickly made his way into the world championship picture as a top heel. Dozens of wrestling tournaments were held every night of the week, (with a handful on Sunday), whilst boxing in the doldrums struggled to put on a couple of shows a night. Wigan-born Davey Boy Smith started out on World of Sport at 15, known as Young David. It would be squaring off against the likes of Satoru Sayama (Tiger Mask), Keiichi Yamada (Jushin Liger), and Dynamite Kid (more on him a little later), among others, which would earn the British grappler his initial acclaim and start him on the path towards leaving an indelible mark on the profession. And, with his trademark war dance, the fans went as crazy as when Hogan was "Hulking" up in the '80s. He held the new championship 233 days, then he hung his boots a couple years after his historic reign. He was one of the first to implement karate into his performance and is often credited with the invention of the superkick, a now-signature move of many. Some of his best moments in the ring came when he tag-teamed against Giant Haystacks and Big Daddy in a tremendous feud that saw one of British wrestlings most prolific segments occur as he unmasked himself in 1977. There's no Buddy Rogers WWWF footage available but click here to watch a little gem from the '50s between him and Johnny Valentine. Thankfully, during a golden age of wrestling, photographer David Maciejewski documented the legends of the ring from 1966 to 1974from which some these pictures have been culled. 2012 Wrestlers.co.uk - The Home of UK Wrestling & Wrestlers. Wrestling stars of the 60s/'70s1 of 18. He especially made his mark in handicap bouts and in what would become his specialty, the battle royal matches. Fuji's tag team partner at the time. Free shipping for many products! source Cauliflower Alley Club, Spanish announcer in boxing and wrestling in Los Angeles. What makes the Archmage and Avenging armor sets great: How to get the Archmage and Avenging armor sets: the pieces for these sets drop from various mobs and bosses in the Great Cleave . He was 52. On the top of all that, if that means anything, he was the PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year in 1973 and the Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year in 1979. The 60s and 70s set the ball rolling for rock music. Ruben Juarez - National Champion, Middleweight (Mexico): Policy. Raised in Texas. Mexican wrestler who teamed with the Great Goliath. Oldest living female wrestler. He died of cancer in 2004 aged 67. In 1986, he won the The Best Gimmick of the Year award from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter a prize that has been held by the likes of The Undertaker and Goldust. By Lee Dorrian. This is a list of oldest surviving professional wrestlers.As of 2017, there are 42 living veterans from the "Golden Age of Wrestling" (1950s-1970s) over 75 years old.The last surviving wrestler from the "Pioneer Era" (1900s-1940s) was American wrestler Angelo Savoldi (born April 21, 1914, died September 13, 2013, aged 99 years, 145 days).The title of the oldest verified wrestler of all . But as a wrestler, Glover was Leon Arras, The Man From Paris. 13. Known as the "Living Legend" of sports entertainment, Bruno Sammartino wrestled for 18 years and captured America's imagination. Click here to watch Pedro Morales defeating Ivan Koloff for the WWWF Championship. It's normal because he was like the main attraction for all those years. He could've been a world champion in any promotion, but he preferred the freedom of travelling all over the USA thus becoming the most popular wrestler in the country. Wrestling has been represented well in Vancouver with cards almost every week since as early as 1929 under the enterprising promotion of pioneer, Emil Klank. As a result, he never got to show his full potential on the grandest stage. Our free email updates are the best way to get headlines direct to your inbox. Wrestled his last match on a AAA show in a loss to El Pistolero in San Pedro Cholula, Mexico. The duo, called The Executioners, holds the distinction to have not actually lost the belts since they were stripped after a third Executioner interfered in a match. Antonio Posa - World Champion As with everything in the Wrestling Heritage pages this is an evolving project taken forward by our Heritage community. More of Maciejewskis superb photography can be seen (and purchased) here. Gorgeous George gained epic mainstream popularity, followed in the Second Golden Age in the 1980's and 1990's by the likes of Ric Flair, Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Sting, The Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Kurt Angle, and Triple H. Ric Flair Saturday Night was all about the WWF Main Event! Garea made his mark in the tag team division by winning the gold on three occasions, with three different partners, for a total of 384 days with the title in the '70s. Wrestled in AWA. A staple of the Joint Promotions and All Star Wrestling promotions in Britain throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Marty made his wrestling debut in 1972. Known as Sammy Berg. He managed to win two Tag Team Championships in the '70s, once with Sonny King and once with Billy White Wolf. Morales, who would later become the first Triple Crown Champion in WWE history, was known for his uncommon resilience and for his mat skills. Everyone can stop writing love songs now. Around this time in his career, Matthews began earning more money touring throughout Europe and Africa. Marty Jones perhaps might be the least known of the names mentioned on this list but is one of the best all-around grapplers of the bunch. If his nine-day reign was short, Stasiak can at least say he was one of the only six WWWF champions of the '70s and to have been a top heel of his time. Logos are registered trademarks of respective organizations. Credits for information on this site are given ITVs World of Sport was a household name in Britain, where it saw millions of viewers weekly. Kieran Hamilton finds joy in all things wrestling. Many icons paved the way to what would become an empire in the world of wrestling. Drama. Not entirely content with only being placed in tag bouts to make his partner Big Daddy look good, Matthews moved over to All Star Wrestling. Short hair became a go-to in the 60s. From her blue eyes to her athletic build and immersive backstory, we are Angela Ziegler Or Mercy, was born in Switzerland. Nowadays, he trains the stars of tomorrow at the WWE Performance Center. He was 67. After his face run, he ended his stint with WWWF as a heel, but it was not before earning the 1975 PWI Match of the Year award against Bruno Sammartino and to win a long feud against Jay Strongbow. ALL STAR WRESTLING IN THE 50's, 60's, 70's and 80'S (BCTV ) Admittedly, we've had a lot of fun putting this wrestler information together and we hope you enjoy reading it too! We use ads to keep our content free for you. He had grueling rivalries against Bruno Sammartino and Bob Backlund over the WWWF Championship. We've officially reached peak love song." "You Light Up My Life" spent 10 consecutive weeks at No. Cowboy Bob Bradley and Joey Russell, February 23 1968. In addition, he accomplished the unthinkable when he ended Sammartino's seven-year reign. When it debuted, everyone in the world was like, "That's it! Share. When he left New Zealand after he signed with the WWWF in 1972, he quickly became a big star, earning the 1973 PWI Rookie of the Year. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Whatever Joint Promotions slick publicity machinery would have had the public believe they were never a Governing Body. . He did it so often that he was named the PWI Most Hated Wrestler in 1977. Once the race barrier was finally crossed, he had feuds against Killer Kowalski, The Sheik and all the other heels in WWWF at the time. PWSTees.com Your favorite Pro Wrestling Stories, on a tee! He was also a great brawler so he had everything to deliver many classic encounters, which he did with panache, especially in 1972 when he was named the PWI Wrestler of the Year. Click here to watch history being made when Ivan Koloff defeated Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF; and click here if you want to see The Russian Bear in a cage match again vs. Sammartino, in 1975. Most recently wrestled on October 22, 2022, at Niigata Pro Wrestling event in Niigata, Japan, where he teamed with, Last wrestled at the 2022 C-K Autumnfest in Kenova, West Virginia, where he teamed with, DeNucci wrestled his last match at a PWS card in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, teaming up with, Last wrestled at the 2019 Expo Lucha convention in San Diego, California, teaming up with. Graham also managed to put the hand on the short-lived WWF International Tag Team Championship. He was born Roland Barriault in Sudbury, Ontario on July 22, 1946. Click here to watch Bruno Sammartino in a WWWF Title defense against Ernie Ladd, a wrestler who barely made the cut on the current list. Wrestled his last match in Nashville, Tennessee, teaming with his son-in-law. He was also inducted into the Stampede Wrestling, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, and the Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fames. One of the most beautiful and athletic women wrestlers during the '50s and '60s she and Penny Banner were women's world tag-team champions with looks and talent to spare. Click here to watch Mr. Fuji in rare singles action taking on Pedro Morales and click here to see him in some tag team action. 'Rawness, freedom, experimentation': the Brit jazz boom of the 60s and 70s 'I got to realise my dream' Alan Skidmore performing in the late 1960s. He was a master of the heel tactics, but he was also very agile in the ring. Click here to watch Dominic DeNucci in tag team insane action with Victor Rivera against The Blackjacks. He was so popular that the fans wanted him to wrestle against opponents who were not exclusively African American in the racial segregation era in USA. He was 69. Although he never got a chance to appear in many mainstream promotions, he indeed laid his legacy in his home country. Like their predecessors, the best '70s spy movies are a mix of American grit, British suave, and Cold War realpolitik. 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. 3. His impressive reign lasted until December 1, 1973 when Stan "The Man" Stasiak defeated him for the title in a shocking moment. Tweet. He would later appear on an April 2007 episode of Raw, losing a no disqualification, 3-on-1 handicap match to Shane McMahon, Vince McMahon, and Umaga. Fashion Square in Santa Ana in the 1960s long before it became what is now Mainplace Mall. In a way, the espionage genre did not develop much from the '60s to the '70s. A former tag partner of Big Daddy, they became huge ring rivals. He was in movie Raiders of the Lost Ark, and played Bomber in TV series Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. Click here to see Patera injuring Billy White Wolf after the match and click here to see the strongman clashing with Bob Backlund. Rex. Bobo Brazil Bobo Brazil was born Houston Harris in Little Rock, Arkansas, but moved to Benton Harbor, Michigan as a young man and got a job in a steel mill. On November 29th, 1998, he would sadly die of lymphoma at his home near Manchester, England. He portrayed a Japanese samurai with a relatively unknown past: Kendo Nagasaki. The wrestler who popularized the superkick: Gentleman Chris Adams back in the late 80s. Backlund will always be remembered as one of the greatest technicians in pro wrestling history who built his legacy by battling other promotional World Champions several times and any comer, often very bigger than him. Little Bruiser was a demon in the ring, but a gentleman outside. He joined the WWWF in early 1977, and only four months later, he had his first shot at the WWWF Championship against Graham, but he lost via countout. His potential and ability have been often overlooked despite his influence on wrestling. In it you will find wrestlers who have died in the last ten years, twenty years, and going all the way back to the late 19th century. He died in 2013 at 93. The mostly overweight men in leotards, often facing off at The Dome in Brighton, were a world away from todays slick, toned stars. He was also a trainer at the WWE Performance Center, where he trained the newest batch of WWE superstars. Oldest female, mainly wrestled as Princess White Dove. He built his reputation with a hardcore side that disappeared in the early '80s due to health issues. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Billy the Kid born John William Guillot in Waco, Texas in 1936. His most notable feud, that lasted for over two decades in and out WWWF, was against Bobo Brazil, and in the process, he became a two-time WWWF US Champion. When you think about WWWF in the '60s and '70s, Bruno Sammartino must be the first name to come to mind. One such style was the Vidal Sassoon pixie, which was created by the British hairstylist of the same name. Whilst the enthusiasts focus was quite rightly on the wrestlers they could never have taken their place centre stage had it not been for those who made it happen, the promoters. Bruno Sammartino is the greatest 70's wrestler of all time. He even found time to release the single True Love in 1975 and still has stables in Bingley. Began his career in the 1940s. Now retired, Lord Littlebrook resides with his son in Saint Joseph, Missouri. Working co-operatively, being highly professional, promoting consistently good quality shows and winning a lucrative television contract gave Joint Promotions a much higher profile than any of the independent, or opposition promoters. The '60s: With Josh Hamilton, Julia Stiles, Jerry O'Connell, Jeremy Sisto. Zbyszko slowly climbed the ladder in singles competition until he won the WWWF Tag Team Championship along with Tony Garea, for a 105-day reign. 1. Following that, he made sporadic appearances in various territories to eventually retire for good in the late '70s. The last surviving wrestler from the "Pioneer Era" (1900s1940s) was American wrestler Angelo Savoldi (born April 21, 1914, died September 13, 2013, aged 99years, 145days). Share. Professional Wrestlers The Professional Andr The Giant Giant People Tall People Vintage Photography Andre Wwe Wrestlers Jean Ferrat Jesse Ventura andre the giant Wrestling Posters Great Memories Hall Of Fame Wwf Champs Legends Title Greats Pedro Morales poses with the US Title Belt Wrestling Stars Good Looking Men Wrestler Vintage Men Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. The 1974 PWI Rookie of the year was trained and introduced to the WWWF by Bruno Sammartino. Visits to Wrestling Heritage are recorded by Google Analytics. An example is Kazuo Sakurada, a Japanese wrestler who used the gimmick in the late 80s. 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He was also credited by the Guinness Book of Records as the Worlds Strongest Midget. These are the men who became heroes of the ring as Midget Wrestlers during the 1960s and 1970s. Multi-time regional champion. He was built to become a legend, and he was just that. He became a face in the '70s to eventually turn back heel in preparation for a legendary boxing match between him and Andre The Giant in 1977. Although his father was against his son becoming a professional wrestler he would go as far as having Mark banned from his gym in Manchester, England Rocco would "learn the ropes" from many veterans from the age of 16 while his father was out on tour. Growing up with the name Shirley Crabtree in a mill town must have been tough. Click here to watch Johnny Valiant teaming up with his brother Jimmy in 1974 and click here to watch him and his other brother Jerry in the late '70s.
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